A third of Americans are showing signs of clinical anxiety or depression.
That’s the grim finding of a new Census Bureau survey that shows the alarming psychological toll of the coronavirus pandemic.[i]
The survey asked questions used to screen patients for mental health problems. Twenty-four percent of people showed symptoms of major depression. Thirty percent showed symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.… Read More
When we feel down in the dumps, most of us don’t want to do much of anything. Our first inclination is to just chill, maybe sit on the couch and watch some Netflix.
A new study shows that’s exactly the wrong strategy.
Research published in the Journal of Preventive Medicine found two seemingly opposite things that can help you break out of a bad mood: sleep and physical activity.… Read More
One of the biggest challenges of the pandemic is figuring out how to exercise.
Your gym may be closed. Even if it’s open, you may not want to go there.
Team sports have been canceled.
Community pools and tennis courts have been shut down, or activities have been restricted.
Even jogging outdoors is difficult in crowded cities where distancing is not always possible.… Read More
The U.S. has the highest obesity rate by far of any developed country. The vast majority of Americans—nearly three-quarters of us—are either obese or overweight.
This would be a major health crisis in the best of times. But during the coronavirus pandemic, it is proving to be even more deadly.
Four recent studies show that obesity may be the single greatest risk factor other than age for having a severe case of COVID-19 or dying of it.… Read More
If you have weight issues, you may have joked that you get heavier merely by looking at food. Of course, that’s impossible.
But a new study shows that simply breathing can actually cause you to pack on weight.[1]
The study was published in the journal Environment International. It found that breathing a certain kind of pollution can trigger obesity.… Read More
There’s one reason: It causes acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS.
What makes coronavirus so dangerous? Why does it kill so many more people than other viruses like the flu?
If you get COVID-19 and you can avoid ARDS, chances are you’ll survive. But patients who get ARDS often don’t make it.
One study found that 45% of COVID-19 patients who develop ARDS die.… Read More